By
Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam
2 November
2023
Islamization
Of the Palestine-Israel Conflict Will Lead to Radicalization; While Deploring the
Israel State Violence, Adequate Caution Should Be Exercised To Deflect Jihadi Ideas
Lurking Behind The Protests. At Any Rate Palestine and Kashmir Simply Can't Be
Conflated As Some People Are Trying To Do On The Social Media.
Main
Points:
1. The violence unleashed by Israel
against civilians of Gaza should be condemned
2. The trajectory of global jihad has
shown solid links with the Palestine issue; beginning with Abdulla Azzam and
Osama bin Laden, radical leaders have used Palestine as a clarion call for
Jihad
3. In India too, the issue has been
often communalized leading to religious hatred and radicalism infecting the
brains of youths
4. Along with the security apparatus,
the community should be vigilant of radicalisation on account of the emotional
Palestine issue.
——————
What was the need for Jamaat's youth wing in Kerala to invite Hamas leader to speak, even virtally? Should we encourage our youth to be influenced by Hamas leadership and their ideology of armed and violent resistance. The UN charter may allow an occupied territory to engage in armed resistance. But under no circumstances does it allow violence against civilians. That the state of Israel is inflicting great violence on civilians, as it has done even in the past, does not absolve Hamas's military wing to inflict violence on Israeli civilians. Neither UN charter nor Islamic postulates allow even occupied territories to perpetrate violence on innocent civilians. Which sensible Muslim would allow our youths to be infected by an inhuman ideology? Time we start thinking of consequences before acting in such stupid ways as did the Jamaat-e-Islami youth wing in Kerala.
————————————-
Palestine once again turned a global wound as
Israeli forces are constantly dropping tons of bombs on civilians. The world
leaders need to immediately huddle together to prevent human slaughter. The
initial provocation stirred by Hamas by targeting civilians is beyond rebuke.
Although Gaza people are oppressed, living in ‘open jail’, the use of violence
against civilians cannot be and should not be justified in any terms.
It's a
plain fact that Hamas is motivated by political Islamist ideology. Islam does
not support wanton violence in any way. Settlement through negotiation and
political engagement, although surreal in current political situations, are
viable solutions in the Palestine case. That civilians are to bear the brunt of
Hamas violence, brings out the gory implication of using violence to meet the
ends.
But more
importantly, the Palestine case has been invoked by radical elements to allure
people to global Jihad. It expands to anti-Americanism for their protectionist
attitude toward Israel and antisemitism.
Palestine
is an emotive issue in global Muslim minds as it is closely associated with
their religious symbols and general antipathy toward the colonial and
neo-colonial global system. Palestine for Muslims symbolizes the forever loss
of Arab and Islamic pride and the surging hegemony of the West.
Cyber cries
for Jihad bring out the significance of the issue. The issue has been invoked
by radical elements to call for jihad. Watch the videos below to understand the
gravity of situation.
Having the
third holiest site of religious significance in Jerusalem, Palestine has an
emotional value for global Muslims. It signifies the dismemberment of Muslim
power and the great fraud perpetrated upon Muslims by the West. Besides,
Palestine always has an emotional appeal
for Muslims soberly remembering the great loss of Islamic civilization and the
Caliphate that once was.
Palestine
has also great political importance in contemporary Middle Eastern politics.
The Palestine issue has been leveraged by Arab states as a political tool and
to support dynastic rulership. Arab states have always used Palestine to gain
political legitimacy in the region and as a counterweight to the Sunni-Shia
conflict (Iran vs GCC countries). The politicization of the Palestine issue by
Arab countries is to blame for festering the issue.
In the
Indian subcontinent too, Palestine has always been a politically tricky issue.
While right-wing parties support Israel and centrist parties maintain a ‘Two
State Settlement policy’, Indian Muslims historically supported Palestine and
built pressure on ruling parties to condemn Israel's aggression.
Indian
state in the past has cautiously walked on a tightrope balancing Muslim
emotions and national interest. The left parties have always sided with
Palestine as their larger global fight against neo-imperialism.
Palestine
In The Global Jihad Movement
Palestine
has been sourly characterized as a symbol of Muslim’s failure to act on Islamic
principles by Jihadi movements. They attribute the failure of Palestine to the
failure of Islamic Sharia and Caliphate.
Besides,
using Palestine as an imaginary proxy, they issue Jihad calls. Sadly, the
politics of the Middle East sometimes facilitate the capitalization of
religious emotions and financial support.
Abdulla
Azzam, known as the first global Jihadist, traced his origins to Palestine.
Displaced due to the Nakba of 1948, he groomed a notorious club of modern
Muslim terrorists, including Osama bin Laden. He appealed to Muslims to
liberate Palestine through violent means and called for militant attacks
against the West supporting Israel.
Since then,
Palestine has time and again featured in terrorist imagination. They decry
Gandhian efforts of Yassar Arafat to negotiate for an amicable settlement. The
unjustified human rights abuse and callous disregard for Palestinians from
Israel have amplified this emotional ammo. Deploying Ibn Taymiyya’s fatwas
against Mongols, Jihadi leaders cheer Muslim consciousness to take to arms.
Israeli state violence, for them, vindicates Jihadi temptations.
Osama bin
Laden in his 1996 fatwa declaring Jihad on America, used American support for
Israel as a justification. The Jihadi literature often manipulates Palestine
issues worldwide to sell their outrageous ideology. Juhayman Utaibi in 1976
declared war on the Family of Saud of Saudi Arabia citing Saudi relations with
America which supports the Zionist state unconditionally. One of the major
utopias spread by ISIS through their literature was the recapture of Palestine.
Iran and allies, including Hezbollah, also militantly support Palestine's
course to undercut Sunni influence in the region.
Thus,
Palestine in the global imagination of Muslims is a tinderbox always blowing up
conflicts. The brutal violence of the Israel state exacerbates this emotional
appeal. The issue has much to do with Islamic eschatology, how the world ends,
where the Prophet Jesus will come and when Muslims recapture Masjid ul Aqsa.
These issues have their foundation in prophetic traditions and need to be
reread to reduce the violence in the region, along with Israel's state
abstaining from brutal violence.
In India
Fringe
elements are on the prowl to corner gullible Muslim youth. Online literature is
replete with such Jihad ideologies. They call for the liberation of Palestine
through violent means. The emotional provocations are also seen in mainstream
Muslim organizations which sometimes get trapped in the emotional fit of the
moment. Such an insensible outpouring of emotions without practically
explaining the situation might tempt people to turn towards extreme ideologies.
So, a fine
balance should be maintained between condemning violence and attacks on
Palestinian civilians and calling for action. In the contemporary global
political scenario, global humanity can end violence only through negotiation
and political settlement. Along with praying for global solidarity, efforts
should be made by responsible community leadership and security apparatuses to
prevent radicalisation using emotive issues.
Inviting
Hamas leader Ismael Haniyya to address a virtual conference called by
Jamaat-e-Islami, Kerala to reactions by top Muslim leaders seem to fan
disgruntlement of Muslim youth in the country. The support by All India Muslim
Law Board might be tempting to bruise the minds of community.
likewise, Aligarh Muslim University students supporting the attacks of Hamas also raises serious questions about the precipitous situation.
Muslims should beware of the dangerous implications of such unthinking acts. What was the need for Jamaat's youth wing in Kerala to invite Hamas leader to speak, even virtally? Should we encourage our youth to be influenced by Hamas leadership and their ideology of armed and violent resistance. The UN charter may allow an occupied territory to engage in armed resistance. But under no circumstances does it allow violence against civilians. That the state of Israel is inflicting great violence on civilians, as it has done even in the past, does not absolve Hamas's military wing to inflict violence on Israeli civilians. Neither UN charter nor Islamic postulates allow even occupied territories to perpetrate violence on innocent civilians. Which sensible Muslim would allow our youths to be infected by an inhuman ideology? Time we start thinking of consequences before acting in such stupid ways as did the Jamaat-e-Islami youth wing in Kerala.
Poster
of Hamas leader attending Kerala conference virtually
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Photo Grabs
of Promoting Jihad on The Pretext of Palestine Issue
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Malayalam
Post Praising Jihad and Mujahedeen Of Palestine
Telegram
Group Preaching.
https://t.me/indiastandwithpalestine
https://fb.watch/o1WDJN9NDS/?mibextid=Nif5oz
Useful Links
To The Story
https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/reading-hamas-from-an-indian-security-vantage-point/
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A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir
V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance
journalist.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism